Chapter 92: Rejection, the winner is still unknown
The sky was gloomy, the night was rolling like ink, dark clouds were running across the sky like tides, and there was an oppressive feeling of impending storm.
Nine mourning bells rang out from the direction of the palace. The sound was deep and one after another, like nine thunderclaps, shaking every corner of the capital.
Before the bell had stopped ringing, the entire imperial city was already in turmoil.
The lights gradually lit up, like a spark that spread across a prairie fire, from the inner courtyard of the imperial palace to the outer city, and in a flash the entire capital was illuminated.
Shen Xingwan stood quietly in front of the window, wearing a moon-white nightgown. Her body was slender but her back was still straight.
The lights in the direction of the imperial city in the distance were as bright as day, in stark contrast to the darkness of the night.
Feiyun hurried back, his face pale and his voice trembling.
"Miss, as you expected, the emperor...passed away."
Shen Xingwan's eyes were calm, without any surprise in them.
She just closed her eyes gently, and various scenes from her past life flashed through her mind.
On that night at the end of July, the same bells and the same commotion led to a bloody and brutal massacre.
After that night, the entire Wei State fell into a protracted civil strife.
But in this life, this moment happened two months earlier!
She must not panic or lose her composure.
There must be a way!
Shen Xingwan opened his eyes, his eyes sharp.
"Feiyun, has the prince sent back any news?"
Feiyun shook his head: "Not yet."
Shen Xingwan bit her lower lip, and her fingertips unconsciously tightened into fists.
"Notify Xing Zhou to immediately deploy all secret guards inside and outside the palace, reinforce the four gates, and strictly guard the forbidden area in the inner courtyard."
"No one is allowed to enter the palace without permission."
Her voice was steady, as if she was deliberately suppressing her inner anxiety, not wanting to let any fear show outwardly.
"Especially the east side of the inner court. From now on, double the number of people will be guarding it. It is better to kill someone by mistake than to neglect it."
The courtyard on the east side is where the fourteenth prince lives.
A hint of understanding flashed across Feiyun's eyes, and she bowed and said, "I will go and arrange it now."
"etc!"
Shen Xingwan suddenly called her.
"Please ask Xing Zhou to send the most elite secret guards to the military camp immediately to find Shen Yunchao and inform him of the situation tonight. Ask him to strictly control the army and increase vigilance."
Feiyun nodded and was about to leave when Shen Xingwan added, "Go ask the steward to come see me, go quickly!"
Feiyun turned around and left quickly. Shen Xingwan looked at her hurried back with a frown on his face.
She was not an ordinary woman in the boudoir. She had practiced riding and shooting and read military books with her brother since she was a child, and was well versed in military affairs.
Even though she was born a gentle woman, she is still a female general who never gives up.
Something unexpected happened tonight, and she had to race against time to prepare.
Yan Jinghuan has not returned yet, so she is the only one left to guard the palace.
Thinking of Yan Jinghuan, Shen Xingwan's heart tightened again.
He is in the palace at the moment. If everything is the same as in his previous life, the situation in the palace must be in chaos.
The emperor passed away and nine sons fought for the throne. How tragic it was.
As the extremely powerful regent, Yan Jinghuan has long been the target of various forces.
"Yan Jinghuan..." Shen Xingwan whispered softly, his fingertips tightly grasping the window frame.
There were hurried footsteps outside the house, and Feiyun was leading the steward quickly inside.
It was the chief steward of the Regent's Palace.
"princess."
The steward bowed, with understanding in his eyes.
Shen Xingwan said solemnly, "Steward, the palace coup has already started. I'm afraid the outcome will be revealed tonight. Steward, please lend me a hand and make sure to protect the Fourteenth Prince."
The steward stroked his beard and nodded, with a sharp light in his eyes.
"I understand. The Fourteenth Prince is gifted and kind-hearted. He is destined to be a true dragon. What happened tonight is indeed a matter of life and death."
"Don't worry, Princess. I swear to protect the prince until my death and will not let him suffer any harm."
Shen Xingwan nodded slightly.
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you to take care of it."
The steward agreed, turned around and left, his steps hurried but not flustered.
Shen Xingwan returned to the inner room, changed out of her pajamas, put on a narrow-sleeved brocade robe that was convenient for movement, and secretly tied a dagger around her waist.
She had just changed her clothes when she heard a slight noise outside the window.
She turned back alertly, only to see a man in black quietly appear at the window and kneel on one knee: "Your subordinate greets the princess."
Shen Xingwan's eyes lit up.
"But is there any news about the prince?"
The man in black said respectfully, "That's right. The prince ordered his subordinates to return to the palace as soon as possible and pass on the message to the princess."
He paused, lowering his voice even lower.
"The prince said that the situation in the palace has become chaotic. The queen mother summoned all officials to the palace to discuss politics overnight, intending to take the opportunity to help the prince ascend the throne."
Shen Xingwan frowned: "Sure enough..."
The man in black continued, "The prince said that the Queen Mother's move was ostensibly to summon all officials to discuss politics, but in reality it was a trap, intended to catch all the officials who supported other princes."
"The chief eunuch Liu Kuan who is beside the Queen Mother has colluded with the Crown Prince and has secretly mobilized the Imperial Guards to deploy around the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Once the officials enter to discuss politics, they will be surrounded."
There was a chill in Shen Xingwan's eyes.
"The Queen Mother has always favored the Crown Prince. Now, she is taking advantage of the Emperor's death to force him to become the Emperor. This is too hasty."
The man in black whispered, "The prince also said that the princess should not worry, and he has a plan to deal with it. But the palace must be strictly guarded, especially the fourteenth prince, who must not fall into the hands of others."
Shen Xingwan nodded: "I have made all the arrangements. Where is the prince now? Is he in danger?"
"The prince has sent someone to contact General Shen Yunchao and secretly mobilized troops to deal with the palace coup. Princess, please stay at the palace and don't worry."
Shen Xingwan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Shen Yunchao had elite troops under his command, and if they could cooperate with Yan Jinghuan from inside and outside, they would be able to stabilize the situation.
"besides......"
The man in black hesitated for a moment and said softly, "What happened tonight was probably not accidental."
"The emperor's sudden death must be suspicious."
Shen Xingwan's eyes flashed. When the emperor of the previous life passed away, there were indeed rumors that the emperor died in an odd way and did not die of old age. However, at that time, wars were raging everywhere and people had no time to investigate.
Is it possible to solve this mystery in this lifetime?
While she was thinking, Feiyun rushed over: "Miss! Miss!"
The man in black disappeared into the endless darkness like a ghost.
Shen Xingwan raised her eyes, "Why are you so flustered?"
Feiyun panted and said, "The palace... the palace has issued an order! The Queen Mother has issued an imperial decree, ordering the Regent Princess, that is, you, young lady, to enter the palace immediately to serve the Queen Mother!"
Shen Xingwan's eyes suddenly turned cold, and her heart began to beat wildly uncontrollably.
The Queen Mother's move clearly showed that she wanted to control her as well and use her as a hostage to hold Yan Jinghuan hostage!
She pondered for a moment, shook her head slightly, and said firmly: "Send the message back and tell them that the princess has caught a cold and is bedridden. She cannot enter the palace to serve the queen mother. After she recovers, she will come to the palace in person to apologize."
Hearing this, Feiyun panicked and said in a hurry: "Miss! How can this be done? How can we refuse the Queen Mother's order? Disobeying the order is a capital crime!"
Shen Xingwan chuckled, his eyes gradually turned colder, and he slowly walked to the window, looking towards the distant palace.
"Entering the palace is like entering a jar. Isn't that death?"
The night wind blew past, ruffling a strand of black hair in front of her forehead.
She reached out and gently brushed her hair behind her ears, with a slightly mocking smile on her lips: "The outcome is still uncertain, and it is still unknown who will win."
"Rather than entering the palace and becoming a bargaining chip for the Queen Mother to control the prince, it is better to stay in the palace and guard our trump card."
She turned around, her eyes sharp.
"The Queen Mother is just taking advantage of the Emperor's death to support the Crown Prince to ascend to the throne. You don't have to pay attention to her orders."
Shen Xingwan lowered her eyes, "The most important thing right now is to protect the Fourteenth Prince Wei Zihui."
Feiyun looked at her calm appearance, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"Young lady has a long-term vision. I understand."
She took a deep breath and said, "I will go and refuse the messenger from the palace right away."
Shen Xingwan nodded and watched Feiyun leave in a hurry, but still couldn't help feeling a little worried.
Tonight is destined to be restless.
Yan Jinghuan must be in danger at this moment, and the only thing she can do is to guard the rear.
Feiyun went away and came back, reporting quietly.
"Miss, the people in the palace left. Although they looked unhappy, they didn't say anything in the end."
Shen Xingwan nodded and asked softly, "How is the Fourteenth Prince doing?"
"We have followed the young lady's instructions and deployed heavy troops. The steward is also personally guarding the prince and will not leave his side for a single step."
"Okay." Shen Xingwan's eyes narrowed slightly, "Tonight, let's see how the situation changes."
At the same time, in the palace city, the lights in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony were brightly lit, the dark night was dispelled, and it looked like daytime from a distance.
The court officials arrived one after another, all of them looked solemn, and their low voices were filled with worry.
Yan Jinghuan, dressed in plain clothes, walked slowly into the Hall of Supreme Harmony. His face was calm and his eyes were like water, without any sign of emotional fluctuation.
As soon as he stepped into the hall, he was keenly aware of the invisible murderous intentions lurking around him.
Royal guards stood around the hall with swords in hand, ostensibly to maintain order, but in reality the situation was tense and murderous.
The court officials stood on both sides, in groups of three or four, with hidden meanings in their glances.
Some had worried looks on their faces, some had calculating eyes, and some even had a hint of gloating on their faces.
Yan Jinghuan turned a blind eye, standing still calmly, his eyes looking straight ahead, as if he was unaware of the undercurrents in the hall.
The empress dowager sat at the head of the high throne, dressed in plain clothes, with a solemn expression. She glanced at the ministers in the hall with dignified and majestic eyes.
Beside her sat Concubine Zhang, her eyes revealing a determined look, her lips tightly pursed as if she was suppressing her inner excitement.
Yan Jinghuan's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't look at it any further.
Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps outside the hall. Everyone looked back and saw a tall figure walking slowly in.
It was Crown Prince Wei Zilin.
Seeing the prince appear, many court officials in the hall were surprised.
Rumor has it that the prince was assassinated and injured a few days ago and is unable to walk. How come he suddenly appears here today?
However, at this moment, Crown Prince Wei Zilin not only did not look unwell at all, but his complexion was excellent, his behavior was calm, and his actions were measured.
He first bowed to the Queen Mother and greeted her respectfully.
"Your son pays respect to the Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother's grief eased a little, and her tone softened, "Is the Crown Prince feeling better?"
Wei Zilin said in a gentle voice: "My father has passed away, how can I not fulfill my filial duty? These minor injuries are nothing."
Having said this, he turned to the courtiers with a sincere look and graceful manner.
"You all have come here all night long, it's really hard. My father has just passed away and there are many state affairs. I hope you will give us your guidance and help us with state affairs."
The prince's words were just right. They not only demonstrated his status as the crown prince, but also showed his humility and courtesy to the court officials, just like a master.
There was a smug look in the Queen Mother's eyes. She said nothing, but just looked at the Prince in front of her with admiration.
The prince continued, "It's cold tonight. You are all tired from the journey. Please have some snacks to warm your bodies first."
He waved his hand lightly, and the palace maids came in one after another, carrying exquisite plates filled with various snacks and hot tea.
The prince's action left all the ministers confused and they looked at each other in bewilderment.
Logically speaking, when the emperor passed away, mourning should be held first, so how could a banquet be held first?
However, at this moment, no one dared to refute.
Yan Jinghuan's eyes moved slightly, and an inaudible smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
The prince's behavior may seem against etiquette, but in fact it is sending a signal to everyone.
Those who follow me will prosper, and those who go against me will perish.
He was selecting those who would cross the line and feast with him.
If anyone dares to stand up and question or make a comment at this moment, he will probably lose his head immediately.
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